To Save the Hero
by Child-Of-Triforce
Summary: Link has been captured by an evil monster he once knew. Zelda asks for Siegfried's help to get him back. Matters are rocky at first, but heroes will unite to save a lover and a friend. ZelLink and SiegHilde later on.
1. Chapter 1

I was inspired the other day and started to write this. Hope you guys enjoy.

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><p>Siegfried slept soundly within the confines of the room he had rented for the night. The tightly woven blankets that had been given to him were sprawled haphazardly all over his battle worn body. To the left of his corner situated bed, was a small oak wooden table. It was bare except for a small map and the remains of what the sleeping knight had devoured for dinner.<p>

The sky outside his window was as still as the sleeping figures underneath it. The air was eerily quiet, but such a thing was not uncommon for this time of night. In fact, this night was different than most. This was a rare night of peace. A night where most could lay in bed without fear of dangers coming to disturb them in the middle of the night. This was a night when Siegfried could let his guard down for the time being.

But he was no fool.

Even in what one would consider a deep slumber, the knight was still deeply on guard. His eyes were closed but his ears remained as sharp as daggers. He could see nothing, but he could hear everything. He could hear the window pane of a rustic old window opening up. He could hear the rustling of fabric as a breeze flew into the room. He could hear the tapping of fine crafted shoes on the wooden floor as they made their way to his bed. He could hear a hand reaching out to him.

Like any good knight, Siegfried could hear threats before he saw them. And like any good knight he could react to said threats in mere seconds. So when he felt a warm human hand lightly touching his back, he instinctively clutched onto the wrist it was too. He stood up in an instant, ready to attack if the need arose, but calmed slightly when he saw who was before him. It was a Hylian.

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><p><em>Siegfried found himself looking into two very stunned and slightly confused blue eyes. The owner of those sea blue jewels looked down to his wrist, back up to Siegfried, before tilting his head in confusion.<em>

_The knight sighed before he released his grip on the hand he held hostage. "Don't do that Link, I thought you were a bandit." He noticed the boy before him rubbing his now slightly purple wrist. "Did I hurt you?"_

_The elf smiled and shook his head. "Sorry Siegfried. I just got a little excited."_

_"Excited about what?"_

_Link got a playful smile on his face before reaching out for Siegfried's hand. The knight did not protest when the elf decided to drag him over to the window on the other side of the room, and he faithfully turned to a spot Link had pointed out in the night sky._

_Before his eyes was a sight seen only once in lifetime. A flock of bright shimmering stars shooting around in the midnight sky. Their brilliance greatly contrasted the dark ebony glow of the sky, but at the same time they complemented one another in a way only light and dark could. "It's a flock of shooting stars."_

_Link smiled widely before nodding. "I've never seen them grouped together like this. And this night was just so perfect. No clouds, no storms, no chilling winds," He turned his attention back to the knight. "I wanted to share it with someone."_

_Siegfried turned as well. "Why me?"_

_A shrug. "I don't know. You just seemed like you needed a miracle tonight."_

_The darker blond chuckled. "You call shooting stars a miracle?"_

_The angel blond, as Link had come to be called, when he wasn't around of course, simply continued to smile. "Of course. It's always a miracle to see something so brilliant fall and then return to grace."_

_Siegfried tilted his head. He had seen Link do it when the boy was confused or unsure about something. The small gesture made him look cute and added to his overall childish charm. But the knight was pretty sure it just made him look stupid._

_Link understood him all the same. "There's an old folktale told to the children in my village. It says that stars are the spirits of warriors who died defending the kingdom. They shine brightly in the sky so that the people beneath it will always know how happy their guardians were to protect the country. Legend goes that in death they protect their new queen, the moon, from the darkness trying to hide her from her people down below."_

_"So if regular stars are warriors, then who are the shooting stars?"_

_"They say that soldiers can fall in battle in death just as they do in life. Shooting stars are the warriors who have died in battle protecting the moon. The reason their defeats are so beautiful, is because they don't wish to worry the children in the world of the living. So they give them a show to enjoy until they can rise up to fight again."_

_"That's nice story." It was nice to hear the elf speak of his homeland. Link rarely ever spoke of his life in Hyrule without getting homesick and slightly depressed. This story seemed to make the young warrior happy, and Siegfried felt oddly flattered that he was the one hearing it._

_"People say that's where I'm destined to go after I die." _

_"If you do, the moon will be extremely jealous."_

_Link tilted his head to the side, looking far too sweet and innocent for his own good._

_"You'll outshine her."_

_Link's smile was doing just that. "I knew it was a good idea to wake you up."_

_The other man chuckled. "It's too bad the others aren't up to hear this. Won't they be jealous when I tell them all about it in the morning?"_

_The elf's kind smile turned into a thoughtful frown for a second, before he snapped his fingers in joyful realization. "I should wake them up too!" And with that, he was out the door and off to one of the many rooms where his companions resided in._

_Siegfried watched him go with a smile on his face. The Hylian was always thinking of others, and he always wanted to share something wonderful with all the people he cared about. The knight supposed that was the result of being tossed around time like a ragdoll. Such a thing was horrible to go through, but it allowed one to keep both the innocence of childhood and the wisdom of adulthood. Still, sometimes Link was too innocent for his own good. He failed to realize that waking people up to star gaze, though selfless, was bound to earn him a few unwanted responses. Siegfried was pretty sure that when the elf tried to awaken one of the girls he would end up with a slap in the face. If it was Ivy it would probably be more of a broken arm. And if he tried to wake up one of the boys it could only get worse. Mitsurugi would probably slice his head in half Voldo could turn him into shish kabob or Lizardman could eat him_

_And in an instant he was chasing after a very doomed and vulnerable elf. "Link, wait! At least take your shield with you! Or some pieces of meat!"_

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><p>No. The Hylian before him was not Link. This one was female. She was far to petite and fragile. Judging from her extravagant dress she was most likely royalty. Link had been a simple forest dweller. Her eyes and hair were similar to his, but for some reason the knight found them to be much different than the Hero of Time's. "Who are you?"<p>

She did not answer him. Her eyes were quaking. She seemed scared to even open her mouth.

"Who are you?" He repeated while loosening his hold on her delicate wrist.

She flinched. And before Siegfried could question her again a small ball of blue light with wings attacked his forehead. It didn't hurt, but the action greatly annoyed him.

"Hey listen!" It shouted. "We need your help."

Siegfried scoffed. "You attack me and then ask for my help? Please explain to me why in the seven hells that would work." He was quickly becoming annoyed with the situation. "I'll ask you this one more time. Who. Are. You?"

She finally looked him in the eye. "Zelda."

Siegfried knew that name. And the second he heard it he tightened his grip immensely. It was almost as if he was trying to break the bone in her wrist. She flinched and he was once again under attack by the blue glowing orb. But he had no intention of letting her go.

Link had told him countless stories of all the trouble he had gotten into over the years. All the bruises, all the gashes, all the near death experiences, and all the discomfort he had endured all for the sake of one person. Princess Zelda. He had never blmed her for what he went through. If anything he seemed happy to accomplish the tasks she gave him. She was his princess. He was her knight. He was more than happy to do as she asked. Siegfried had never seen matters that why. He had always thought that his friend had been suffering by the princess' hand. "Well, well, well," He hissed at the girl before him. "If it isn't the destroyer of lives."

She went to slap him with her free hand only to find that he could grab it without any trouble at all. So she settled for glaring. "How dare you? You have some nerve."

He scoffed. "I have some nerve? I have some nerve? Says the woman who sent an innocent child to do her dirty work and save her kingdom when she failed to do so." He tightened his grip, if that was even humanly possible. "How many of his lives have you ruined, hmm? 3, 5, all of them?"

She seemed shocked at his angry outburst.

"What, did you think he would keep his life a secret? I hate to tell you this, but he told me everything."

Link was a reincarnate. A person whose was destined to be reborn into a new life every time he died, until the fates decided he could move onto the afterlife. Link was not immortal, Siegfried knew there were rules and restrictions to his existence, but when he would truly die and rest in peace was still a mystery to him. Link had told the knight he found it unfair. As long as Zelda was in need of his services he could not die. Until she could handle her life on her own Link's life was not his own.

"Why are you here?" He suddenly realized that she and the ball were the only others in his room. The object of his thoughts was nowhere in sight. "Speaking of which, where is Link?"

She grimanced. The opain inbher wrist had not diminished. "He's usually addressed formally as the Hero of Time."

"I'm aware, now where's Link?"

She looked down to her shoes which were shining a bit in the pale moonlight. However he was not in the mood for such childish games and he desperately wanted an answer. He used his other hand to forcefully grab her chin and raise it so that the two of them could see eye to eye.

"I want an answer. Where's Link?"

She looked back at him with pain in her eyes but sighed when she realized that she had no choice. "Our hero has fallen into the hands of a danger unknown to me."

"How exactly did he land into the hands of such a danger?" If she confirmed what he believed to be true, then her hand was as good as dislocated from her wrist.

Surprisingly, it was the blue orb that answered the knight's question. "He was trying to protect the princess."

Oh. She was definitely about to lose a hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the wait. School and everything takes time. Enjoy!**

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><p>He wanted to kill her. He wanted to sever her wrist from her arm before making his way up to her neck. He wanted nothing more than to take hold of Zweihander and cut the girl before him in half. But if he did any of that he would be unable to discover why his best friend was in trouble.<p>

It had taken every ounce of restraint he possessed in his body to respectively throw aside the girls wrist and demand she sit down on his bed. He himself had opted to stand up in front of her. He had a gut feeling this story was going to make him jolt up anyway. He might as well have gotten a head start.

"Talk."

She still refused to look at him. Her eyes remained on her wrist which had already started to bruise. Siegfried knew he should have felt guilty. He should have felt remorse for such a violent act. He should have at least looked sorry, like he had when he had done the same thing to Link two years ago. Then again this Hylian was not Link. It was his oppressor.

"Do I have to twist your other hand to get you started?" He caught the blue orb in his hand before it could attack his head again. "I have no problem in doing so."

She glared at him.

"You're not going to impress me with that little scowl of yours." He narrowed his eyes. "If you want me to shut up, I suggest you stop wasting my time. Tell me why you came here and why Link is not with you. Do not leave a single piece of information out."

She knew she had to speak sometime. She could see his patience was growing thin. He was more than happy to go through with his promise. "The Link you knew from before, he died a few years after returning to Hyrule."

Siegfried could feel his heart shattering and his eyes darted over to Zweihander. "What do you mean died? How?"

"His body had gone through far too much. Traveling through time and different worlds takes a lot of strength. He eventually grew tired. When a new disease found its way to Hyrule, his body was no longer in any shape to fight it."

The knight scowled. "He got sick? How on earth did that happen?" Link had never been sick a day in his life in this world. He was the one **treating **the sick and injured.

"Link never took care of himself as well as he should have."

"That's because he was too busy taking care of you." He spat. "Did you not see he was killing himself? Why didn't you tell him to slow down? You should have known he would have ignored his own health if only to see that someone else is safe from harm." He sounded so angry, so bitter.

She knew that the knight before her hated her for what she had done. She hated herself for what had happened to her hero. Sometimes the guilt was too much for her to handle. "If it makes you feel any better my death came soon after his." She tried to appease him somehow.

He didn't seem to care. "Where was he buried?" He narrowed his eyes. "You did bury him didn't you? You didn't cremate him and keep the ashes to yourself did you?"

She ignored his last two questions. Grief must have made him impolite. Or at least she hoped he was never that rude to guests on purpose. "Deep within the remains of the Great Deku Tree. It was his dying request that he be near the creature so much like a father to him when it was finally his time to die."

Siegfried could not help but feel a bit relieved. It seemed that Link had not been completely looked over in death, as he had been in life. "So the reason you stand before me now, is because you two have been reincarnated again. Born once more as the princess and her kingdoms savior."

She nodded. "As always we were reborn with the memories of our past lives still intact. Nothing much had changed. The only difference this time around, was that Link was gifted with normalcy for a short time. He was simply Link. A farm boy who lived in Ordon Village. He had an uncle, an expected aunt, and a little cousin named Collin."

"And as always, a problem that you couldn't take care of came up. Link had to once again, abandon his happy life in order to guarantee yours." He had a hard time keeping the anger out of his voice. "That still doesn't explain why you're here. That problem should have been taken care of by now and besides, that's Hyrule business. It should have nothing to do with this world."

She hesitated. "When we met each other again, I finally had the courage to ask him what happened in this world. He didn't say much, only that some things should always remain a secret."

"Really?" He shrugged. "That's funny. He told me all about you and his life back in Hyrule. I don't recall him ever keeping a secret from me." That was a cheap shot and Siegfried knew it.

Zelda knew it too. But she refused to comment. Siegfried wasn't sure if it was because she had nothing to say or because she had chosen to keep that royal and majestic air of graceful silence that all royalty seemed to possess. Quite frankly, he didn't care either way.

"He never wanted to talk about it." She said at last. She was calm, quite, reserved. "At first I thought it was too painful for him to bear. But he seemed so…"

"So what? So sad, so depressed, so heartbroken?"

"Happy." She concluded at last. "He seemed so happy when he spoke of this world."

Siegfried seemed to get a strange sense of satisfaction from that.

"I just wanted to understand him. I wanted to know why he seemed to cherish this place so much."

"You could have just asked him."

"He wouldn't have told me." Or he wouldn't have told her everything. He would have said a few words before going silent about everything. That was just the way he was. He said it was to protect her, whenever she bothered to ask him why. She felt as though all it was doing as keeping her in the dark.

He knew that. It seemed to him that Link would have avoided every possible opportunity to have a touching heart to heart moment with his princess. He would make excuses, disappear from the face of the earth, hell the elf would even taken on another life or death quest, if only to stay away from Zelda. "He would have told me."

She glared at him. As a princess she was unused to people, especially knights and soldiers, challenging her authority or pushing her buttons. Especially when it came to Link. They knew how important he was to her. They would not dare make her upset when it came to him. "You seem so sure."

He smirked. "He told me about you didn't he?"

She would not answer him. She got the feeling he would not listen to her.

"Like I said, start from the beginning."

She sighed. "It all started one afternoon after Link had journeyed deep within a forest near Ordon. I had decided to take matters into my own hands and investigate his past journey into your world…"

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><p><em>The deepest dungeon in Hyrule. Rat infested, littered wall to wall with skeletons, and filled with the odor of old flesh and dried up blood. There was no light. None who had been sent there before had even deserved such a luxury. This was meant to be a place of silent punishment. A place where the darkest of human souls were to be stripped of their basic human rights. A place where crimes were to be paid for with blood, sweat, and tears. It was no place for a princess.<em>

_Yet there she was. Walking in the hallow corridors with nothing but a lantern and a small fairy by her side. She was foolish, in a sense, for walking down such a dangerous labyrinth garbed in nothing but her princess attire. There was not even a sword at her side._

"_Princess," The fairy felt she had to whisper even though no one was there. This particular section of the royal dungeons was forbidden to house criminals of any kind. There was something far more dangerous under lock and key. "I don't think this is very wise. Link said,"_

"_Link has said nothing to me about this subject in some time." In fact, he had not spoken to her at all in over a month. New developments had made it impossible for him to venture to the castle unless it was absolutely necessary. When he tried he was in and out in less than ten minutes. She never got to see him. Which is why she now had to act without his knowledge. _

_Shaking off the obvious ache in her heart at the separation, she turned a sharp corner. She was relieved when she saw she had come across an old worn out door with a unique carving near the doorknob. It was fairly easier to get lost in such a dark and morbid area. She had not been sure she was going to be able to find the entrance she needed. She knew, of course, that she was indeed standing at the correct door. Link had made that mark himself. Zelda remembered the look of utter concentration Link had possessed when he created the marking. It was a shape he had seen many times in his past life. The eye that used to adorn the mask of truth._

"_Princess," The fairy spoke again, taking Zelda from her musings. "You know he would be very upset if he knew what you were planning. He told you never to open what was sealed. It's dangerous."_

_That had been the reason why he had slashed a line through the same line he had drawn._

"_**Princess," His voice had been so firm that day. So unlike the kind and playful hero she was used to. "You must remember. Keep what is behind this door out of sight and out of mind."**_

"_**Why?" She had questioned. "That item was yours in your past life. You deserve to have possession of it once more."**_

_**He looked almost remorseful when he had locked the door. "It's true. That item was very precious to me. I used it often and I admit it did me a world of good." He smiled as a far off memory made its way to his mind. "Actually, it did me two worlds of good." His smile faded just as easily as it arrived. "But don't misunderstand. You must never think of taking it out of here."**_

"_**I still don't understand."**_

"_**This is one thing you don't need to understand, my lady."**_

_He had refused to say another word on the subject. Zelda had not ventured down to the dungeons since that day._

_But now she had done what she had promised never to do. She had to admit, she was nervous. No, she was afraid. She was afraid that by coming down there, by taking out the key she had been entrusted with, she was setting herself up for a confrontation she could not handle. Afraid of something she could not understand. Afraid that Link himself would come down and try and stop her._

_The door let out an eerie screech until it had hit the wall behind it, allowing the lantern to give light into the familiar layout of the small room. Link had demanded this room be kept simple. Simplicity was inconspicuous. Simplicity never tangoed with curiosity._

_The room was small, only allowing any normal adult enough room to walk in a single straight line. There was no room to turn around. In fact, there was barely enough room for Zelda to walk in. She was forced to leave the lantern at the doorway. The wall directly opposite of the entrance had an old stone pillar with a simple wooden box on top of it. The box was nothing to gawk it. In fact it looked almost as innocent as the hero who had put it there._

"_I don't think we should do this."_

"_Hush Navi. I know what I'm doing."_

_She walked the short distance to the wooden box, only stopping to ghost her hand over the old wooden lid. Gathering up her courage, she opened it quickly and took out the item she had come there to retrieve. It had been a while since she had felt the smooth blue marble this object was made out of. She was surprised. It was as new and as beautiful as the day she first held it._

"_The Ocarina of Time." Just saying the name brought back memories long forgotten. "Now, what melody did he play the last time? The one he used to go to that other world?"_

_The fairy was not willing to answer. _

"_Navi, I order you to speak. Which song did he use to open that door?"_

_A frustrated sigh escaped the fairy. "The song you taught him many years ago. The song of time."_

_She put the instrument to her lips and began to play. It was a song that had passed down since ancient times. A melody that had burned itself into her mind. A memento from a past life. She was surprised she could play it as well so well. After all, it had literally been a lifetime since the song had even been played. _

_But there was something different about the song this time. Or rather, there was something wrong with the way it sounded. _

"_What's this?" She took the Ocarina away from her mouth to examine it. Nothing seemed out of place, but that odd feeling was still there._

"_Something wrong?"_

_She continued to stare. It was ridiculous really. Just staring at an object for a given amount of time wasn't going to change it, at least not usually. _

_But this time it did._

_The once blue marble of the brilliant item began to turn black. Before Zelda could drop it, dark black almost serpent like hands clutched onto her writs. Her first instinct was to tell Navi to run, to go off and find some help. But that plan was quickly foiled when another hand shot up to grab the fairy, and they didn't stop there. Dozens more started shooting out, engulfing the room in complete darkness. It was not long before they had completely engulfed her as well. By then all she could do was scream._

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><p>"You mean to tell me you went in there without his permission?"<p>

"It's my castle." She tried to argue politely. She wanted to avoid a fight if she could. "I can decide if I can or cannot walk through the dungeon in **my own castle**."

"You fool." This was the person responsible for the lives of an entire kingdom? He was surprised they were all still alive. "Link used that song to seal away the very spirit of Soul Edge in that Ocarina. Playing it, especially **that song**, would only release what had been sealed."

"I was unaware of that. He never told me about it."

"But he did tell you to stay away from it. That should have been enough warning."

She was silent. Again, she knew he would to listen to much of what she said. He was too angry with her.

"So you got possessed by Soul Edge, what happened next?"

"My people were forced to leave the city around the castle. I had become a monster."

"As if you weren't one already."

"My people would disagree with you."

"Your people helped force an 18 year old to solve their problems for them. I don't think they're the best example to go by."

She went silent once more.

"So you were left on your own, trapped in your own castle I assume?" She nodded. "What next?"

"Link was, unfortunately, nowhere near the castle at this point. He had already saved our current Hyrule from a terrible darkness called twilight and had set off to prepare for a final confrontation with the person responsible for it." She looked up at him. "I'm assuming you know the man I speak of."

Of course he knew. Link had told him. "Ganondorf."

She nodded. "He too had heard about the mysterious power I had obtained…"

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><p><em>Soul Edge loved the feeling of a new host. The body, the mind, the soul, it was all so fresh and clean. It all so pure. It was all his to dirty with blood and massacre. This particular host, this princess, was especially fulfilling.<em>

_She had a unique power, not unlike the one that accursed child had used to seal him in that blasted instrument. It was divine, almost God like, and he had enjoyed using it to murder the girl's beloved guards. His one regret was that his use of such power was limited. If he attempted to take control of it fully, he was bound to kill his current hostess and delete this power altogether. This energy surging through him, this unstoppable amount of control, was too sweet to let go of. He could not, would not, risk it._

_But, lucky for him, this girl was not the only one capable of housing such a marvelous gift._

_He felt his lips twitch when the doors of the castle had been broken down. He sensed a power, much like the one he had now, coming fourth in the form of an overly tanned red headed male wearing black desert gear. This man strolled into the castle as though it was nothing, only stopping when he reached the steps that led to the throne that Soul Edge now sat in. _

"_I sense a dark presence within the girl," He said. "Who are you?"_

_Soul Edge smirked. "My name is of no consequence. But yours would be very much appreciated." _

"_The names Ganondorf, the future master of Hyrule." He pointed to the throne Soul Edge was seated on. "And you happen to be in my seat."_

_This man had guts. The evil blade would give him that. "You are no ordinary Hylian." The sword observed. "No, you're on a different level entirely. What is this power I sense? This power so similar to that of this princess?" _

_Ganondorf scoffed. "Her power, similar to mine? Don't make me laugh."_

_Soul Edge raised an eyebrow. "Oh, am I wrong?"_

"_The only similarity we share is that we both have pieces of the triforce."_

_The triforce. An ancient power created by the three goddesses of this world. His hostesses' memories, filled with green and pleasant smiles, told him she had been chosen to wield a specific piece of this magnificent creation. "This princess, Zelda I believe, has been granted the triforce of wisdom." His eyes darted over to his left hand. "It is strong."_

"_Not as strong as mine." This man seemed very sure of that. "Mine is the triforce of power."_

_**That**__ had the dark blades attention. "Power? So yours would be stronger, more potent, than this one?"_

"_Naturally."_

_In a flash Soul Edge was behind the one who called himself Ganondorf. The male red head was unable to move, frozen as if something was pinning him to his spot at the base of the stairs._

"_If you're so strong," There were suddenly talons grazing the sides of Ganondorf's neck. "Then you should be just what I need to get a body of my own."_

"_You have the girls." The tanned man suddenly knew where this was going, and it was nowhere he wanted to be._

"_Yes, but as you have just told me, she is weak. I only have control of __**her**__ body, but with strength like yours, I could very well become a solid human with a body of my own."_

"_You won't succeed. Taking over someone else's body won't give you your own. You'll only get the same result you have now."_

_Soul Edge chuckled. The sound sent shivers up the others spine. "Who said anything about switching hosts? That's not what I have planned for you."_

"_Then how-"_

_He could feel a warm breath right next to his ear. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'You are what you eat'?"_

_Another scream rang out through the country of Hyrule._

* * *

><p>"You <strong>ate<strong> him?" Siegfried felt like throwing up.

She scowled. She did not like the thought anymore than he did. It was disgusting. She could hardly stand thinking about it. "It was **that** creature in **my** body." It was more to convince herself really than it was to convince him.

That did not make him feel any better. Siegfried still felt his dinner attempting to rise up from his stomach. Had he considered himself anything less than an epitome of strength he would have seriously considered throwing up then and there. But sickness was a form of weakness. The last thing he needed was this princess thinking he had anything that even remotely resembled a weak spot. Especially if that weak spot was a weak stomach. "Please tell me you didn't eat Link."

She glared at him. She wondered if he would ever show some class in front of her. "This is no time for jokes."

The funny thing was, Siegfried was far from joking. "So how exactly did Link get involved in all this?"

"Would you please stop calling him by name?" It was not normal for people who did not know the hero to call him by name. It was considered disrespectful.

"Would you rather I call him by a pet name?" She shook her head. "Then stop complaining."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "To answer your question, he came to save me." She could see he wanted to say something, so she continued before he got the chance. "This thing you call Soul Edge used Ganondorf's devoured spiritual energy and flesh to create a body of his own, if you want to call it that."

"What do you mean?"

"The thing looked more like a walking corpse than anything else."

As if he weren't sick enough. "What I want to know is why did he keep you alive?"

"His body was there, but it was far from stable. He still needed the power of my triforce to feed and keep him from falling apart. I was kept in one of the dungeons below the castle, only allowed to come out when he needed more energy for his new body. Word was sent to Link and he came to get me…"

* * *

><p><em>She had never been happier to see him. She had never been happier to feel his surprisingly soft hands on her delicate wrists. She had never been happier to see that reassuring smile she loved so much.<em>

"_You came."_

_The elf focused his attention on removing the steel shackles holding her against the wall. But he did manage to smile at her for a moment. "You needed me, didn't you?"_

_She was surprised by the tone in his voice. It was so kind and gentle. So unlike the harsh and cold hiss she had expected. "I'm sorry."_

_The steel chains that had once kept her captive fell to the floor with a few sharp clangs. His smile had not gone yet. "You did what you thought was best. There's no need to feel sorry for that." _

_Once she had been taken care of, Link set to work on releasing his fairy friend. The small creature had posed no real use to Soul Edge. As such she had been kept in the dungeons in the smallest cage available. It was so small, in fact, that there was barely any room to breathe. This cage was steel as well, but thankfully the metal had rusted along with the sands of time. It was not difficult for Link to break._

_But the fairy did not move._

"_Is she alright?"_

_Link held the fairy close to his chest, searching for a sign of life. A pulse that would assure him that his small friend was alive. He was relieved when a faint beating began synchronizing with his own heartbeat. "She's tired. Let her rest a bit and she'll be fine." _

_Carefully, so as to not wake up his injured friend, he ripped off a pouch from the brown leather belt he wore on his waist before casually taking off the green hat off the top of his head. He gently wrapped Navi up in the green fabric before placing the wrapped fairy in the ripped off pouch. He paused for a moment, before he finally handed Navi over to Zelda. "Please make sure to keep her safe."_

"_Why not just put her in a bottle?"_

_He shook his head. "It's made of glass. She might get hurt while we're moving." _

_Zelda should have known. Link was always quite gentle with __**Navi**__. He was always making sure __**Navi**__ was safe. That had been why he demanded __**Navi**__ hide in his hat during some of his toughest battles. He wanted his fairy safe at all times. Zelda was not sure he felt the safe way about her, even though he had told her dozens of times before that she was important to him. Still, it was not enough to assure her._

* * *

><p>"Wait, wait, wait," Siegfried felt as though he had to interrupt. "You were jealous of a two inch blue ball of light with wings?" A frustrated sigh was his only response. "You're pathetic you know that?"<p>

By this point Navi had given up on trying to get Siegfried to keep his opinions to himself. She could only assume that this instant rivalry between the two would continue until Link was there beside them, smiling brightly and safe from harm.

"Would you let me finish this story?"

Siegfried had the strongest desire to deny her angry request, but he knew better than to let his emotions get the better of him. "Go on."

"From there, Link managed to free Navi and me from the castle dungeons."

"Did he fight his way out?" Link had a tendency to overlook how much danger he put himself in when he attempted to rescue someone else. Mitsurugi had often scolded him for his rash and often thoughtless behavior.

She shook her head. "I thought he would try something like that, but he surprised me. He had dug an elaborate tunnel into the dungeons and used those same tunnels to help us escape. Once we had resurfaced he had Epona ready to take us to our next destination."

Siegfried was impressed. Escaping through hidden tunnels had been a trick the young elf had learned from Yoshimitsu. The thief had bragged that the technique was the most effective way to deal with a hostage and rescue situation. Apparently, Link had been paying attention.

"He took as far as the old Temple of Time. It was collapsing and had been abandoned for years, but for the most part it was decent. That was the original location our hero had used to get to your world."

"So what happened? The way your story goes it seem like you should have made it out of there with no problems."

Zelda gripped the fine satin fabric of her dress tightly in her fists. "We had an unexpected dilemma."

Siegfried already knew where this was going. "No,"

"Yes," She seemed almost close to tears. "Soul Edge followed us…"

* * *

><p><em>Link could honestly say he was not afraid.<em>

_When you were afraid of something, your heart would beat beyond the confines of your chest. When you were afraid of something, you were gazing into the eyes of something you had never seen before, something you did not know how to deal with. When you were afraid, you were unarmed and unprepared to fight what was before you. When you were afraid of something, you were never completely sure you __**could**__._

_He was not afraid. _

_Link's heart was not pounding against his chest. His heart had completely burst out of him altogether and was probably sitting on the floor beneath him, all too glad that its torment was over. When Link gazed into the eyes of his enemy, he did not see the unfamiliarity of a mystery he had never experienced before. He knew what was in front of him. He had seen it before. Link was not debating whether or not he could defeat the danger that now lay before him. He was absolutely positive that he had no chance in Hell at beating what was before him._

_He was not afraid. He was utterly horrified._

"_YOU!" That voice was poison to the young elf's ears. "YOU'RE THE LITTLE BRAT WHO SEALED ME IN THAT ACCURSED INSTRUMENT!"_

_Link would be lying if he said he had never thought about what Soul Edge would look like as a human being. Back when he had first entered Siegfried's world he had actually thought about the subject often. He had even brought it up in conversations with the German knight himself. Many thoughts had loomed through his head, ranging from Ganondorf to Nightmare like appearances. But no matter what he came up with, one thing always remained the same. Human Soul Edge was a terrifying sight to behold._

_The Soul Edge before him was not what he had expected. The 'body' before him was nothing more than undead remains of what used to be living flesh. Brown, rotten, and decomposed skin clumped together in a makeshift model of the human body. Link almost expected the whole thing to start falling apart right then and there. A dark dirt red liquid, it might have been the dark blades version of blood, shot through a thick murky tube, it must have been some type of vein, that curved in and out of every limb in what Link could only describe as a walking corpse. _

_No, it was not what he had expected. But it was terrifying all the same._

_It took a step toward him, and he took a step back. His face was calm and unaffected, but his mind was telling him to run. Epona was behind him with Zelda safely strapped to her saddle. The door to Siegfried's world had been opened. He could run. If he really wanted to, he could jump right on Epona and run. Except, he knew he would never make it. He would be killed before he reached the door, and all hope of destroying this monster would be gone. There was only one way this was going to have some type of happy ending._

"_Princess!" He reached down to his belt. Another brown pouch was ripped off of the sturdy leather it had once been attached to, and swiftly thrown at Zelda._

_Soul Edge raised it arms, sensing what the boy was about to do, and threw a particular batch of dark energy at the young hero. Link had managed to block it with his Hylian shield, but the dark matter did not stop. It kept pushing him, trying to break apart his shield and make it to his body. Soul Edge would not move from his spot in the doorway. His body was weak. It craved the strength and nourishment of the power that had created it. It cried out for the power of the Triforce. The power that Link had taken away. The power that Soul Edge was desperate to retrieve. And so the attacks continued, each becoming a little weaker than the last, but somehow adding to the strength of the energy that was already there._

_Link knew he did not have the strength to keep them at bay for long. "Princess!" He called again. "Go through the door. Find a man named Siegfried Schtauffen. Ask for his help."_

"_But you," She could not leave him behind._

_He only smiled. "I'll be fine." He was such a liar. "Epona, go!" _

_The horse did not want to adhere to such an order. She was no fool. She knew that if she ran the chances of seeing her master again was slim. To never be able see that smile again, to never again be able to hear that warm laughter, was too horrible to think about. She had no desire to make such thoughts become a reality. But the look Link's eyes, the fear in his smile, told her something he could not convey through words. Something she did not want to believe. Something that could very well become reality if she refused to move. With a few tears in her eyes, and a promise in her heart, she sped off before the portal could close completely. The last thing any of them before the door sealed itself once more, was the last scream that managed to ring all throughout Hyrule. The final cry of the last of the Triforce holders._

* * *

><p>"I cannot be certain what he is going through," Zelda admitted. "But I can only assume it's as severe as my treatment was."<p>

"You'd be wrong." His eyes finally landed on his blade sitting on a wall opposite of the bed Zelda sat on. "His treatment would be far worse." He went around the room quickly, trying to gather up all his possessions with a semi cool head on his shoulders. "Link was the one who sealed away that damn abomination in the ocarina. There's no doubt in my mind that Soul Edge would still hold a grudge. He's probably paying Link back for all the time he spent sealed away."

"You think he's being punished?"

"I think he's being tortured."

The two were silent until the knight finished packing up all his possessions in a brown knaps sack. Zelda was a little alarmed that the German knight was so quiet. He had had no problems in showing his deep dislike of her before, so she could not quite figure out why he was not doing so now. He was angry after all, hell he was practically glowing with murderous intent. So why was he not saying anything about it?

"I'm not going to kill you." He said as though he could read her thoughts. "You're the only one who knows how to get back to Hyrule. I can't afford to let you die. At least, not until Link is safe."

Somehow, that did not give the princess an ounce of comfort.

* * *

><p>He could not help but smile. "So this is how you found me." He walked up to the happily neighing creature and gently ran his hands over the horse's nose. She was a friend of Link's, someone who had protected and respected the young elf in all that he had done. She was special to Link, so she was special to Siegfried, and he was happy to see her.<p>

Epona, it seemed, was just as happy to see him. It had surprised him a bit. He had not seen her in years, but she still knew who he was. She knew he was the man who would eventually help rescue her master.

Siegfried untied the rope that bound the horse to one of the wooden pillars and tried to hand it over to Zelda. But she backed away.

"What's the matter with you?" He tried to hand her the reins once more. "Just take the reins and get on Epona."

She shook her head.

"This is not the time to act stubborn. We need help, and a decent plan as to what we're going to do." He explained as gently as he could, which, considering who he was talking to, was not all that gentle at all. "If we're going to do that we need to start, as much as it pains me to say this, traveling together to a list of places to find people who can help us out."

She just kept shaking her head.

"Listen," He was quickly becoming annoyed with the princess in front of him. "The first stop on this list is a town **78 miles** away. With you along, we won't get there until tomorrow night. I can't afford to let you slow this trip down by walking in overly priced shoes that will only let you move three meters an hour. Now. Get. On. The. Horse."

She still would not move. "She won't let me ride her."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Seeing that the princess refused to answer, Navi spoke up instead. "Epona is very angry with the princess. She bucked her off the second we arrived at this inn. She won't even allow the princess to get near her now."

"If I even attempt to she tries to bite off my hands."

Siegfried sighed in frustration. This was going to be a bumpy ride.


End file.
